In is a common practice to repair scratches and worn areas on metal surfaces through welding or brazing and then machining the repaired surface to the original dimension. U.S. Pat. No. 5,316,790 discloses a process of repairing such scratches and worn areas through the use of a tungsten disulfide modified epoxy material. The repairs made through such epoxy material perform in a satisfactory manner as long as the temperature of the environment for the repaired metal is below 350.degree. F. Unfortunately when the temperature of an environment exceeds 350.degree. F., the bond between the epoxy and metal may deteriorate such that the epoxy degrades.
Other methods of repair of metals that are exposed to temperatures above 350.degree. F. are available, such as welding and brazing; however, they are often costly and impractical. In addition welding and brazing do not provide corrosion protection, and may potentially induce galvanic corrosion as a result of the use of dissimilar metals. While corrosion protection for welding and brazing repaired surfaces can be achieved through various plating methods, such methods are costly, impractical and in some instances may be environmentally unsound and as a result have often not been accepted by most customers.
Upon reviewing the temperature requirements for repaired materials, it was determined that a repair material should have the following properties or characteristics: A low coefficient of friction; minimum porosity; good resistance to high aromatic aviation fuels and fluids; operating temperature range of at least 500.degree. F.; and corrosion protection for a metallic substrates.
Furthermore, this material should provide a lubricated, easily machinable surface that could be applied in a single coating with a thickness of at least 0.006 inch to reduce time involved in making or restoring the component to a functional condition which will tolerate compressive loads. Known state of the art lubricant filled epoxy, as described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,316,790 and No. 3,950,571, have a maximum temperature limit of 350.degree. F. and as a result have a limited application with respect to the repair of metal surfaces.